It was The Mall vs. The Coast. It was of course an easy choice even though it delayed the inevitable of a last-minute chase through stores for modest but considered gifts. But for the moment. And that was partly the key: for the moment, he would take the coast. Not out of comfort, certainly. For starters there was steady drizzle. The drizzle was also cold and the mist restricted the view. But he did have a flask of coffee and his last blast of technology some 90 minutes earlier had suggested the sun would break-through. But was he happy? Yes.